SAN ANTONIO -- Many of the years in Jack Loeza Barber's life are reminiscent of the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In fact, the constant pull between good and evil kept him in and out of jail.
However, the dichotomy of his character never affected his talent. His former attorney and friend, Roy Barrera Sr., acknowledges the two sides of Jack.
Jack Barber was a very talented person, Barrera said. Unfortunately, he was raised on the wrong side of the tracks. He was quite a 'west-side figure,' as we refer to it.
Barber had criminal and drug problems. His promise, however, was seeded in his ability to paint.
In his own right and independent of his problems, he was a fantastic painter, Barrera said.
In 1977, Barber's criminal tugging got the best of him. He shot well-known San Antonio Police Officer Val Lopez. The west-side painter was convicted of attempted capital murder. Still free in his hand, however, was his paintbrush.
In fact, his life started to track incredible detail and ridiculous fault. His shortcomings were obvious. The growth of his detail started to flourish as the man with the record developed a knack for painting presidential portraits.
More specifically, he seemed to like the recognition that came with his art for another man who was also nicknamed Jack: the late President John F. Kennedy.
Other than he had a liking for the president, Barrera said, he decided he wanted to paint him, and he did.
Two Kennedy portraits by Barber, who is now deceased, hang at San Antonio's John F. Kennedy High School. One of them has a letter urging the late president's brother, Sen. Ted Kennedy, to come dedicate JFK High to San Antonio.
No one is sure whether the deceased senator ever got Barber's letter from prison or a copy of a Kennedy portrait. Sen. Kennedy did officially dedicate the school in October 1980.
Ten years later, Barber got out on parole. By then, some of his paintings were in the handsof his appeals attorney for payment and friendship. In fact, Barrera was also given a President Kennedy portrait.
It was stolen during an art show in 1999. The paintings and the criminal case were enough for the San Antonio attorney to know that two Jacks existed.
I felt honored when he made these paintings available to me because I think he was giving to me of his talent, Barrera said. And... showing me the other side of him.
